1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,760 Welcome to Logan City Christian Church Podcast, where we bring God's Word to you weekly. 2 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:12,520 We pray what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life. 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:13,520 Enjoy the message. 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:19,680 It's a time of worship, praise God. 5 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:30,440 It's an honor to be able to be involved with you guys in the praise and worship. 6 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,880 It's such a wonderful thing. 7 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:40,600 And I was speaking to a pastor just this week, and he was saying to me that there was this 8 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:46,320 young child that went to a church service and went up to the pastor and pulled on his 9 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:54,120 arm and he said, I see a lot of people up there as well, all wearing white gowns. 10 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:55,120 And he said, really? 11 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:56,240 He said, what do they look like? 12 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,520 And he explained it to them. 13 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,160 And he realized that they were angels. 14 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:01,400 And he said, what are they doing? 15 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:07,120 He said, they're doing exactly the same as what the congregation are doing, raising their 16 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,400 hands and in worship. 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,920 And although we may not see them, we had the pleasure a few weeks ago to experience this, 18 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:23,120 but although in general we may not see them, never discount the fact that they are there 19 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,160 and they're there worshiping with us. 20 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,760 Amen. 21 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:29,760 Praise be to God. 22 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,880 Pastor Paul, I just happen to see you there with your family, complete and entire now 23 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,480 from Pakistan. 24 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:37,640 We just want to thank you. 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,440 We welcome you and your wife and your young child. 26 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,760 Would you? 27 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,520 Praise God. 28 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:56,120 I don't have a microphone up here, but maybe if your wife is well, thank you Lord. 29 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:04,080 Oh, they're going to the Sunday school? 30 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,360 Fresh from Pakistan back to Australia. 31 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,520 Hello, little one. 32 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,960 I've heard all about you and I've heard all about you. 33 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:12,960 Hello. 34 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:13,960 Welcome. 35 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:19,600 Thank you and just God's doing a wonderful work in your lives and we just want to bless 36 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,360 you and can we pray for you right now? 37 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:24,360 Absolutely. 38 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:25,360 Yeah? 39 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:26,360 Come on, let's have our hands here together. 40 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,480 Church, can you stretch your hands forward? 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,600 Father, we thank you. 42 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:36,520 The Lord that what you're doing in this family is just so special and we thank you Father 43 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,520 God for the ministry call. 44 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:45,320 Father, right now we pray that every sickness that had come against them in the name of 45 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:51,280 Jesus, that as a church in the name of Jesus we break the power of it and Lord we speak 46 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,200 the healing power of God into their bodies. 47 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,400 But Father, right now we thank you. 48 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,520 Lord that when families are together, I know you're happy Lord God and so are we. 49 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,720 So we ask that you bless them in the name of Jesus. 50 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:04,720 Amen. 51 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:05,720 Hello, little one. 52 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,120 You're giving me a really good check out there. 53 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:12,320 Thank you so much Church for praying for us and thank you for your support through difficult 54 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:13,320 times. 55 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:14,320 Thank you. 56 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:15,320 Amen. 57 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,320 God bless you. 58 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,120 Hallelujah. 59 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,680 God is just so good. 60 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:29,600 You know, over the, I'm just going to flow with the Holy Ghost this morning. 61 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:35,920 Obviously, there may be reasons for that but I just feel that's what the Lord desires this 62 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:43,480 morning and I've been sharing for a little while now about the born again experience 63 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:50,360 and you know, we go through the water baptisms and we get filled with the Holy Ghost and 64 00:03:50,360 --> 00:04:00,480 it is such an incredible privilege that has been given to us freely by Jesus himself. 65 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:08,080 You know, when I speak about being born again, being made right before a Holy God, it is 66 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:17,780 such a privilege that we as people like before I came to Christ, when I didn't know Him, 67 00:04:17,780 --> 00:04:26,720 I was in darkness and I did not know the things that I was doing was so really wrong as such 68 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:31,400 but I knew, always knew that there was more and I think we all knew that, that even in 69 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:37,320 creation the Bible says is that we can look and see that there is God, there is a creator 70 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:45,160 and then when we got saved, when Christ saved us, He forgave us of all of our sins and what 71 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:51,160 a blessing that is and accepted into the family of God and so whatever things we had done 72 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:59,240 in life, when we came to Christ and confessed it all to Him, He completely forgave us and 73 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:05,160 we were justified as if we had never sinned once in our life and I think that that is 74 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:11,120 something as Christians we should meditate on from time to time giving thanks to God 75 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,520 that once we were lost. 76 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:18,880 In fact, Steve ministered at the men's breakfast yesterday, great ministry and you know, once 77 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,920 I was lost but now I'm fine, once I was blind but now I see, once I was in darkness but 78 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:24,920 now I'm in the light. 79 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:30,080 I mean that's the gospel and thank you Eleanor for communion that you know what you shared 80 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:36,880 about being right with God and the opportunity to be right with God is important but this 81 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:42,320 is my point, I do have one actually this morning. 82 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:51,720 So, we get born again, great wonderful work of God, we water-baptized, we go through the 83 00:05:51,720 --> 00:06:00,400 water baptism, wonderful and for many of us we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 84 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:07,520 what an incredible encounter that is and if you're here today or you're watching online 85 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:15,080 and you have not yet received this wonderful blessing, if you're here today present physically, 86 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:21,780 just ask, we'll pray for you and online get in touch with us, we'd like to get in touch 87 00:06:21,780 --> 00:06:26,320 with you as well if we can and to meet with you to lead you through the baptism of the 88 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:27,320 Holy Spirit. 89 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,640 Now, why is it so important the baptism of the Holy Spirit? 90 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:40,400 It's incredibly important because when we were born again, the Spirit of God made us 91 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,720 alive with God. 92 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:51,560 Our spirit man that was dead to God was made alive to him and it's there that we being 93 00:06:51,560 --> 00:07:00,180 alive with God are accepted by God and adopted into his family as his own child. 94 00:07:00,180 --> 00:07:11,520 You know, when you got saved, God accepted you as his own child, how good is that? 95 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:18,560 But see it doesn't stop there because in this world there are two kingdoms, there's the 96 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:24,720 kingdom of darkness and there is a kingdom of light and each kingdom has a king as a 97 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:35,460 ruler and the ruler of the kingdom of darkness is Satan and we see his work whenever you 98 00:07:35,460 --> 00:07:40,920 turn the television set on these days or read the news, you see a lot of the work of Satan, 99 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:49,800 what he's doing, killing, stealing, destroying, breaking families. 100 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:56,880 But the other kingdom, the kingdom of light also has a ruler and his name is Jesus. 101 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:03,320 And Jesus said, he's very different to Satan, Jesus actually said that I have come to give 102 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,920 you life and life in its abundance. 103 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:12,880 So when we get saved, we receive this life in abundance. 104 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:21,840 But then when we walk this walk of Christianity, we soon learn that we are up against a very 105 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:32,640 determined enemy, that just because we're born again and you know, filled with the Spirit 106 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:38,320 doesn't mean that the devil says, okay, I lost them, I'll just go get somebody else, 107 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,280 we'll just leave you be. 108 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:47,320 So there'll always be an assignment, there'll always be something that the devil wants to 109 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:54,160 do to stop you, to discourage you, to hinder you in your walk with God. 110 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:59,920 I've been sharing too about the infilling of the Holy Spirit that you will receive power 111 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:00,920 from on high. 112 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:06,660 In other words, it actually means to be clothed with power from on high. 113 00:09:06,660 --> 00:09:14,440 And this power, this dunamis power that we receive empowers the Christian on various 114 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:19,920 different levels, but one of them is to walk and live a holy life. 115 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:25,920 We also are empowered to, when it says about lay hands on the sick and they will recover, 116 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,840 there's the power gifts that flow as well. 117 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:38,160 There's so much and so many blessings that we receive with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 118 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:44,760 And all this is wonderful and all this is great, but it's all for a purpose. 119 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:51,120 Today I'm going to just briefly speak on walking in the Spirit. 120 00:09:51,120 --> 00:10:01,680 You see, being filled with the Spirit and walking in the Spirit are two separate things. 121 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:10,160 So we can be empowered from on high and we feel that that day that we receive the infilling 122 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:15,240 of the Holy Spirit, what an incredible, incredible moment, right? 123 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,800 Who here has received that blessing? 124 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:19,360 The hands everywhere. 125 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:23,680 We have received that and it's incredible. 126 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:30,160 We don't know what it is until we experience it. 127 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:35,400 But we've been empowered for a reason, like I said, and I think one of the ones is that 128 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:46,240 so that our walk as a Christian from the time of conversion and infilling is to walk just 129 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,120 as Jesus walked. 130 00:10:50,120 --> 00:11:01,520 And so to walk in the Spirit, it's speaking about a very natural physical walk. 131 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:09,760 I remember when I was studying this years ago, I had this thought about before I was 132 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:18,000 a Christian about spiritual things that it would be a ghost or, you know, when you're 133 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,320 born again Christian, reading about walking in the Spirit, I had this concept that it 134 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:27,080 was so spiritual that you just float in the air. 135 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:28,080 Just float around. 136 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:35,200 I'm a Christian now and I'm filled with the Spirit and I'm spiritual and I can float around 137 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:42,280 in the Spirit and I'm just so spiritual that I don't, my feet don't even touch the ground. 138 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:47,680 I'll never wear out a pair of shoes ever again. 139 00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:53,840 And so with that kind of thinking, we can become so heavenly minded where we're of no 140 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:59,600 earthly use because walking in the Spirit is a natural walk. 141 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:05,000 It's about the life that we live, the life that we are living and the call of God on 142 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:14,280 your life that we have been shown and led to walk, a natural walk, but with the supernatural 143 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,480 divine power that resides within. 144 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:19,480 And it's important. 145 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:23,720 And I'm going to read from Romans chapter 8 from verse 1. 146 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:29,020 Now I'm going to read a little bit here so please try not to nod off. 147 00:12:29,020 --> 00:12:33,440 And if you see your neighbour nod off, give him a shove and just tell him, hey, he hasn't 148 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:35,880 finished yet, wake up. 149 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:41,000 Okay, Romans chapter 8 and verse 1. 150 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,960 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not 151 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:51,480 walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 152 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:56,440 Notice it's a capital S and referring to the Holy Spirit. 153 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:03,520 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin 154 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,160 and death. 155 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,660 So what is this saying? 156 00:13:08,660 --> 00:13:12,000 There are two different walks that we can walk. 157 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:19,440 Apostle Paul addressing the church at Rome, the Christians there, and he's just saying 158 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:27,280 to them, guys, you know, you've had your life up until you got saved walking in the flesh, 159 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:34,880 walking in the way that in our old nature before we got saved, the old Adamic nature, 160 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:36,960 that sin nature. 161 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:42,640 But he's trying to explain and express in verse 2 that there's a law of the Spirit of 162 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,800 life and there is a law of the Spirit of death. 163 00:13:47,800 --> 00:14:00,220 There is a law, it's just like the law of gravity is defied by the law of aerodynamics. 164 00:14:00,220 --> 00:14:07,080 So you can get an airplane and when that airplane, it starts its engines and lifts its flaps 165 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:13,680 to whatever it's got to do and it thrusts off that there's a different law that comes 166 00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:21,520 into play that in a different level, on a different dynamic altogether, that that aircraft 167 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:26,200 begins to lift and defy the law of gravity. 168 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:32,200 Now if the engines cut out, we know that it's coming back down. 169 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:39,400 But here it's speaking about the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me, 170 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:46,080 has made us free from the law of sin and death. 171 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:55,080 And this all comes about because we as children of the living God made a choice. 172 00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:02,400 We can choose every morning when we wake up, you know I'm going to walk in the flesh today. 173 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:06,680 I'm just going to do that, I've had enough of everything else. 174 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,480 Or we can just say after we've eaten our cornflakes and downed our coffee and just say, no I'm 175 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,440 going to walk in the Spirit today. 176 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,480 You see, walking in the Spirit is a choice. 177 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,160 It's something we choose to do. 178 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:27,920 Now we may be empowered, which we are, to walk a very powerful spiritual life, but it 179 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:32,380 still comes down to our choice. 180 00:15:32,380 --> 00:15:38,240 So how do we handle it if somebody cuts you off at a roundabout or runs a red light? 181 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:45,240 Effectively there we have a choice to respond in the Spirit or respond in the flesh. 182 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,240 Amen? 183 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,680 Amen. 184 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:59,600 And I see some of us here today saying, you're prophesying brother. 185 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:04,680 But see there's no condemnation to those who walk in the Spirit. 186 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:09,000 And I want to emphasize a little bit more of this a bit later on. 187 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:15,800 Now verse 14 of chapter 8 says, for as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are the 188 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,440 sons of God. 189 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,700 Sons here meaning the sonship. 190 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:25,720 It's not defining male only, it's speaking sonship. 191 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:30,600 So ladies, you're part of the sonship. 192 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:31,600 You understand that? 193 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,480 So we're not excluding ladies here. 194 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:43,200 But listen to this, for as many are as led by the Spirit, this means then that the Spirit 195 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,500 of God is leading. 196 00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:57,200 So that means then that we must be following, not leading. 197 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:06,000 So when we are being led by the Spirit of God, that means then by default that we are 198 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,480 following. 199 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,480 You got that? 200 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,940 Okay. 201 00:17:15,940 --> 00:17:27,560 So when somebody gives you a hard time, the Spirit of God is always going to lead you 202 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:35,480 and me in the way that He would want us to go. 203 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:42,640 Because remember I said before about how the devil comes but to steal, to kill and to destroy. 204 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:47,880 That Jesus said, I've come to give you life and life in its abundance. 205 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:53,760 Well the Spirit of God is going to lead us in the path of the life and an abundance of 206 00:17:53,760 --> 00:18:01,680 life, even in the middle of some of your toughest tests and trials. 207 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,140 But the devil's quite different. 208 00:18:05,140 --> 00:18:09,440 He wants to lead you into the ways of the old nature. 209 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:10,440 Roll up your sleeve. 210 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:15,800 I'll give them what I'll let them know what I think of that. 211 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:22,000 Some of us are thinking he's prophesying again. 212 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:27,800 But when we got saved, it's a process and sanctification. 213 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:33,720 It's when the Spirit of God is working in us and leading us in the right way so that 214 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:39,000 the old ways and old thoughts that we used to have and things that we used to do are 215 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,680 behind us because we're now following the Spirit of God. 216 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:49,000 See walking in the Spirit, if we walk in the Spirit, we've been born again, accepted by 217 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,620 God, baptized in water, we've been filled with the Holy Ghost, powered and endured with 218 00:18:53,620 --> 00:18:56,780 power from on high, we're clothed with power. 219 00:18:56,780 --> 00:18:58,880 But church it doesn't stop there. 220 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:02,780 Now we have a walk to walk in the same Spirit. 221 00:19:02,780 --> 00:19:08,480 And if we walk in the power of that same Spirit, we're not going to fulfill the lusts of the 222 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,600 flesh. 223 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,320 So here is the thing. 224 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:19,840 Why is it so important that God wants us to walk in the Spirit? 225 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:25,160 Well in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30, it makes it very clear. 226 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:31,880 It says, and do not grieve the Spirit of God by whom you were... 227 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:40,320 Why does it go again that you were sealed for the day of redemption? 228 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:49,040 Now forgive me, but this is not speaking to unsaved people. 229 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:50,920 Is that right? 230 00:19:50,920 --> 00:20:00,960 This is speaking to born again Christians to not grieve the Holy Spirit for whom you 231 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:06,180 were sealed for the day of redemption, on that day that you are sealed. 232 00:20:06,180 --> 00:20:12,280 So grieving the Holy Spirit is a possible thing. 233 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:19,760 First Thessalonians chapter 5, I think it's verse 19, it says about, do not quench the 234 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,960 Holy Spirit. 235 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:28,280 And quenching the Holy Spirit is like, you know I remember one time we had a campfire, 236 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:33,080 we were out west and it had been raining and we had a lot of wet firewood but we managed 237 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:38,680 to get this little fire going and we were trying to build it up so dry out all the wet 238 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,680 timber and you know the process. 239 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:49,600 And what happened was, back in the day, one of the people that were with us was drinking 240 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:59,280 heavily and decided to throw as a joke a bucket of water over the fire and it wasn't a good 241 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,560 deal. 242 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:09,280 We know it gets really cold out there and especially when it's wet and yeah, and I 243 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:16,080 won't share with you what happened after that but it got in the flesh really bad. 244 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,920 But that fire was totally extinguished. 245 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:25,360 There was possibly a bit of a slight warmness in there and to get that rekindle would have 246 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:29,480 taken a lot of work. 247 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:34,720 It's not impossible but it's unnecessary. 248 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:42,840 So to not quench the Holy Spirit is a very important thing and that's why the Bible mentions 249 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:49,800 so often about walking the Spirit and you're not going to quench the Spirit. 250 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:55,520 Walk in the Spirit, we're not going to respond in the flesh and then quench the Spirit. 251 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,600 Now why is this so important? 252 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,320 Well, I'm glad you asked. 253 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:07,160 Because we read about in 1 Corinthians 12, in that chapter there, I believe it's from 254 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:17,320 verse 1 to around verse 11, it speaks about the gifts of the Spirit and the gifts of the 255 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:23,520 Spirit are given as the Spirit wills. 256 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:29,000 And so there are incredible gifts, there are power gifts, there are utterance gifts and 257 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:33,080 there are so many gifts involved in here and if I could narrow it down to something very 258 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:39,760 simple here this morning, the gifts of the Spirit expose the plans of the devil and have 259 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,920 the power to destroy them. 260 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,120 Amen? 261 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:54,640 Christ had always wanted for His church to be moving in the gifts of the Spirit. 262 00:22:54,640 --> 00:23:02,600 The utterances, the power gifts, the revelation gifts and so this has always been very important 263 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,200 and so the devil's not stupid. 264 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:09,440 So what he knows he has to do is simply this. 265 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:18,280 If I can lead people my way and not the Spirit way, then I can lead them into the flesh and 266 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:24,040 there if I can lead them into the flesh and get them to do or say something that will 267 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:30,000 quench the Spirit of God and then the same Spirit that has been quenched is the same 268 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:35,480 Spirit who is the giver of the gifts of the Spirit and there the devil's like, ha ha, 269 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,480 I got you. 270 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,040 Amen? 271 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,320 Amen. 272 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:50,880 You know Ephesians chapter 6, we know the popular passage of Scripture there about the 273 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:59,360 armour of God and it speaks about be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, 274 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:06,520 depending on the whole armour of God and it goes into all the detail. 275 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:13,520 The key here is not to be strong with the Lord, the word says to be strong in the Lord. 276 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:19,720 So that means that we're in Christ, that we are in the Spirit, that we are Spirit people 277 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:21,760 walking in God's power. 278 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:22,760 Amen? 279 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:24,920 So hold on to that. 280 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:30,800 But here is I think, now what I'm about to share if you have held on to this teaching 281 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:38,160 and I upset you today, it is not my intention but I have seen the wrong understanding of 282 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:43,320 this Scripture lead people astray or lead them into a false hope. 283 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:50,600 What it says about to put on the whole armour of God, speaking about that in that day you'll 284 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:59,080 be able to stand, putting on the whole armour of God is not something we verbally say and 285 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,080 enact. 286 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:12,320 I wake up in the morning and then I put on the breastplate of righteousness, you know, 287 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,240 pretend I'm doing that. 288 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:20,000 I used to do it until I had the revelation, you know, and I put on the belt of truth and 289 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:25,240 I put on the helmet of salvation, put on the shoes of the gospel of peace and then I take 290 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:32,880 the shield of faith and I get out there and then live just like I did before I was a Christian. 291 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:37,440 So it's done nothing. 292 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:44,600 You see, enacting it is not what Apostle Paul was meaning. 293 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:51,320 The same Apostle, he actually said to put on Christ in other Scriptures, to put him 294 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:53,920 on. 295 00:25:53,920 --> 00:26:02,160 In other words, it was a choice that in our life we choose to live like Jesus. 296 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:08,040 Putting on the armour of God when it speaks about the breastplate of righteousness, this 297 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:14,000 is not the righteousness of God that we receive by Christ Jesus, this is now the effects of 298 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:19,680 God's righteousness in our life that we choose now to live righteously. 299 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,480 That's what that means. 300 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:27,520 So we can't put that on like as a ritual every morning, like years ago at this church I was 301 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:33,800 at this couple rolled up and they got to the door and I was greeting them and they took 302 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:35,400 off and I said, where are you going? 303 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:39,280 They said, we forgot to put our armour on this morning. 304 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,680 It was like life and death. 305 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:47,520 So they went back home and I didn't see them until the night service and so what I'm trying 306 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,680 to say, I want to emphasise this. 307 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:57,840 If we think that putting it, like enacting it is what it's about, we've missed it because 308 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:02,480 it's about our choices that we make as a Christian. 309 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:03,480 That's our armour. 310 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,440 That is our armour. 311 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,840 Our armour is Christ-likeness. 312 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:16,600 Our armour is Christ-like character that we choose in the morning to say, Lord, I'm aware 313 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:23,320 of the armour that I have and today I'm going to choose to the best of my ability to walk 314 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,880 righteously. 315 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,800 My belt, I'm going to choose to walk in truth. 316 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,720 I'm not going to lie, I'm just going to tell the truth and be truthful. 317 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:37,280 I'm going to live the truth and accept the truth and so on. 318 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:46,760 You see, this is all about walking in the Spirit and if we walk in the Spirit, remember 319 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:55,440 it's a very natural walk, you and I as physical people, been empowered by God to walk a very 320 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,880 supernatural life so naturally here on earth. 321 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,440 Does that make sense? 322 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,220 Makes a lot of sense. 323 00:28:04,220 --> 00:28:09,560 So the born again, water-baptised, filled with the Holy Ghost and then the next step 324 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:16,160 is now we need to walk as Christians in the power of God and be so naturally spiritual 325 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:20,180 and spiritually natural. 326 00:28:20,180 --> 00:28:28,960 Not fruit loops, not these space cadets that, you know, just natural, natural people walking 327 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:38,020 in such a natural way and it's there that when we are pleasing God, the Holy Ghost begins 328 00:28:38,020 --> 00:28:44,840 to move upon His people and where there's a setting of the people of God where they 329 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:50,900 love each other and they are walking in the Spirit meaning that they're so aware not to 330 00:28:50,900 --> 00:28:59,240 offend or to aggravate and to build unity amongst each other in love and the works of love. 331 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:06,280 The Holy Spirit is drawn to that atmosphere and when He's drawn to that atmosphere, He 332 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:14,400 can't help but bestow upon those people gifts and power and blessing and it's there that 333 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:22,480 people, those people, when they've cultivated this relationship amongst each other, walking 334 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:29,120 in the Spirit, that it's there that God uses these people to do great signs and wonders 335 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:33,320 for Him in the name of Jesus. 336 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:39,360 You see, unity is a very powerful thing. 337 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:48,440 Unity, you can have, let me say this, unity is not conformity. 338 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:54,320 Unity is not if you do everything that I say then we can all get along. 339 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,920 The Bible doesn't teach that. 340 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:04,720 You see, when there is a dispute or where there are disagreements or whatever, people 341 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:09,840 can have different mindsets and different ideas and different whatever, but when there 342 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:18,880 is a disagreement, it should never ever be about who's right and who's wrong. 343 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:30,000 In the Christian setting, the focus should always be on what is right, not who is right 344 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,680 and there is a big difference. 345 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:39,720 And so the unifier within a disagreement is truth. 346 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:44,120 So it's not who's right, it's what is right. 347 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:51,800 So both people leave their post to come to the unifying core, which would be truth, and 348 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:54,920 find out, hey, maybe we're both wrong. 349 00:30:54,920 --> 00:31:01,600 You see, walking in the Spirit has everything to do about relationships. 350 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:10,080 The Gospel involves relationships from top to bottom, left to right, because God desires 351 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:15,120 that we all live in right relationship. 352 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:20,240 Now that doesn't mean that some relationships are strained at times, but when we walk in 353 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:28,120 the Spirit and we maintain that walk in the Spirit best that we can, it doesn't take 354 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:32,120 long for that relationship to be restored. 355 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:33,680 It doesn't take long. 356 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:41,760 I'd like to go to Galatians chapter 5, and we may finish there. 357 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:48,040 Galatians chapter 5, some powerful principles in the Word of God as we all know. 358 00:31:48,040 --> 00:32:04,720 I'm going to read from verse 16, I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil 359 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,080 the lust of the flesh. 360 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,080 Here it is again. 361 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:19,400 A decision to walk in God's ways, and if we do that, we're not going to fulfil the lust 362 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:21,680 of the flesh. 363 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:23,360 Listen to this. 364 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:29,680 This is explained so simply that even I can understand it. 365 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:34,680 For the flesh, and the flesh is meaning, you know, we might be thinking of this physical 366 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:39,600 flesh, it's actually meaning our old nature before we were born again, that there was 367 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:45,760 the old nature, our old person that did not know God and probably didn't want to know 368 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:46,760 God at the time. 369 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:54,600 But it's saying that the old person, the lust against the Spirit, sorry, the lust against 370 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:58,040 the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. 371 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:03,400 And these two are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you 372 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:04,600 wish. 373 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:09,400 So let's look at this. 374 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:14,080 The Spirit and the flesh are opponents. 375 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,800 They do not make deals. 376 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:23,760 The Spirit and the flesh do not make a deal to say that, okay, the flesh says to the Spirit, 377 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:29,120 well, they were at church Sunday, I want them from Monday to Wednesday, maybe Thursday, 378 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,340 but you can have them Friday to Sunday because they've got to be right at the church again. 379 00:33:33,340 --> 00:33:38,000 There are no such deals that are cut like that, none whatsoever. 380 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:39,680 They're opposing. 381 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,800 They don't agree at all. 382 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:47,480 And verse 18, but if you are led by the Spirit, you're not under the law, you're not under 383 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:50,800 that binding law of the death. 384 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,440 But here it is again, if you are led, are we following the Spirit? 385 00:33:53,440 --> 00:34:01,360 Now verse 19, it explains what it is to what the works of the flesh are. 386 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:05,160 And this is what the works of the flesh will lead us to. 387 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,120 Are you ready for this? 388 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,480 Sounds quite horrible, I know, but it's truth. 389 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:18,600 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 390 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:29,000 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, 391 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,600 heresies, envy, murders. 392 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:34,720 Oh, this sounds horrible, doesn't it? 393 00:34:34,720 --> 00:34:41,160 Drunkenness, revelries and of the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also 394 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:48,160 told you in times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of 395 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:49,160 God. 396 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:56,920 Okay, just let me stop there for a sec because I want to address something that is taught 397 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:03,400 around about that is so wrong and so misleading. 398 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,880 Jesus said that the thief comes but to steal, kill and destroy, right? 399 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,840 Jesus said, I've come to give life and life in its abundance. 400 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:19,280 We previously read in Romans 8 about how if we walk in the Spirit, we will not be under 401 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:23,880 that condemnation, but if we walk in the flesh, it speaks about the law of the Spirit of life 402 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:27,920 and there's a law of the Spirit of death. 403 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:34,880 If someone walks and follows the works of the flesh, the Bible says here, I told you 404 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:41,340 in times past that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 405 00:35:41,340 --> 00:35:48,460 This is what in the modern gospel, if you like, today is being taught. 406 00:35:48,460 --> 00:35:54,120 It's not meaning that you forfeit your salvation. 407 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:58,360 Oh no, no, God would never, ever, ever do that and God wouldn't. 408 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,320 We do it. 409 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:01,320 Hello. 410 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:13,400 I say you just lose your benefits and you lose your blessings here on earth and you 411 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:18,440 may not get that big mansion in the sky that you've been wanting. 412 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:23,480 Where they get that from, I will never know, but I'll tell you something. 413 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:28,320 It sounds very attractive, especially for young people today. 414 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:29,320 Incredibly attractive. 415 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,280 Do you want to know what it means here? 416 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:40,120 That those who practice, that's an habitual practice, lifestyle, such things will not 417 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:41,480 inherit. 418 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:46,020 So the key word here to understand it is inherit. 419 00:36:46,020 --> 00:36:48,640 And what does inherit mean? 420 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:55,840 I wouldn't even begin to try and pronounce it in Greek, but the Strong's number is 2816. 421 00:36:55,840 --> 00:37:00,120 If you're taking notes, write it down and if you go to your Strong's concordance, you 422 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,500 will find that what I'm saying is the absolute truth. 423 00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:07,180 So what does this word inherit mean in the Greek? 424 00:37:07,180 --> 00:37:08,180 Listen to this. 425 00:37:08,180 --> 00:37:09,720 I didn't write it. 426 00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:11,600 This is exactly what it means. 427 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:16,660 To inherit means to...now remember it says will not inherit. 428 00:37:16,660 --> 00:37:26,320 The word inherit means to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom. 429 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,280 Can I share that again? 430 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,580 To partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom. 431 00:37:33,580 --> 00:37:41,560 So Apostle Paul says that anyone who practice these things will not partake of eternal salvation 432 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:48,120 in the Messiah's kingdom. 433 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:54,800 That's serious business. 434 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:59,520 But I like verse 22 says but. 435 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:03,860 But here is an action shift now. 436 00:38:03,860 --> 00:38:07,920 So we just heard that the flesh and the spirit, they just don't get along. 437 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:12,960 The flesh wants to take you in the ways of righteousness, sorry the spirit wants to take 438 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:14,480 you in the way of righteousness. 439 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:18,360 The flesh wants to take you in the path of unrighteousness. 440 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:24,600 The flesh wants to take you into all the works of the flesh and its mission is to take you 441 00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:29,240 to hell, to destroy your life. 442 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:35,560 That's its mission. 443 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:48,240 Verse 22 but, but the fruit of the spirit or the correct translation I believe is the 444 00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:58,240 evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life who walks according to the spirit is 445 00:38:58,240 --> 00:39:14,400 love, joy, peace, long suffering, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 446 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:17,760 self-control against there is no law. 447 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:24,400 In other words that if we as children of the living God allow the spirit of God to lead 448 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:30,400 us verse 18 but if you are led by the spirit of God you are not under the law, you're not 449 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,720 under the judgment of those things. 450 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:41,640 Now I dare say that some of us when we came to Christ may have practiced either one of 451 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:47,880 those things and some of us may be more and definitely I raised my hand in that there 452 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:53,320 but when we got saved here is the good news. 453 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:58,340 When you and I came to Christ we were given a new nature. 454 00:39:58,340 --> 00:40:04,400 The nature of sin was dealt a mortal blow by the blood of Jesus that when you and I 455 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:12,320 got saved we made a claim on the blood of Jesus that is in the eternals right now where 456 00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:18,240 Jesus when he was raised from the dead went and presented his own blood in that mercy 457 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:24,080 seat in heaven in Hebrews chapter 9 and it's there that when you came to Christ and when 458 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:29,600 I came to Christ because of the blood, the eternal blood that is in that place on the 459 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:35,760 mercy seat in heaven making peace for the sin of the world, atonement for the sin of 460 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:41,360 the world, when we came to that place and asked Christ to save us we made a claim on 461 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:47,800 the blood of Jesus and there we were accepted, we weren't denied, we were accepted into the 462 00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:54,380 family of God and we were forgiven of all of our sin and all of the ways of the works 463 00:40:54,380 --> 00:40:59,240 of the flesh and then we went through the water baptism and then we got filled with 464 00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:05,280 the Holy Ghost and then we started experiencing a new life led by the Spirit, a life filled 465 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:11,680 with love, love for one another and we started experiencing a joy, a joy in this world that 466 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:18,600 many don't seem to have much of and then we're looking at the peace of God, we started experiencing 467 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:24,000 the day that I received Christ, I'm sure you did too, this incredible supernatural peace 468 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:29,720 came on my life, I knew like I knew that everything would be alright no matter what comes, floods, 469 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:35,600 fire, no matter what, I just knew that everything's alright, I knew that my future was sealed 470 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:40,920 and I know you do too and so when we have this peace, when the Prince of Peace comes 471 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:46,840 into our life and he saves us and he's standing with you saying folks I'm with you, everything 472 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:51,720 will be okay, you're going to go through some trials but it's going to be okay, it'll all 473 00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:58,480 be okay and so then we're focusing now, we're mindful of the things, we're mindful of the 474 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:04,920 ways of the Spirit, our thoughts now are the ways of the Spirit, we're not longer thinking 475 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:11,080 about the ways of the flesh but if we do, whatever we put our mind to or our thoughts 476 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:13,840 to, will end up going there. 477 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:20,000 So why not change it to the ways of the Spirit, the thoughts of God, the Word of God, the 478 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:26,960 ways of God are so important, being led by the Spirit of God, being drawn into righteousness 479 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:32,520 and so there we receive this long suffering, fellas I'm sure there were times before you 480 00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:37,720 came to Christ that you'd be in a setting that you'd get into a scuffle and you know 481 00:42:37,720 --> 00:42:42,720 a good old scrap but now that you're a Christian you have the power and the ability to walk 482 00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:48,760 away from those things, to long suffer, you know that to allow before, who had a real 483 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:54,120 fiery short hot temper before they got saved, come on be honest and all the rest of you 484 00:42:54,120 --> 00:43:00,320 I pray for later they didn't put up your hand but there's long suffering, you know that 485 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:08,640 God is long suffering, He was long suffering for me and for you, for all of us, He's a 486 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:14,440 good God, long suffering, this kindness, being kind. 487 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:21,840 I remember a guy when he got saved, he was one of the meanest people I'd ever met and 488 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:29,040 I tried witnessing to him without much success, probably because I knew him really well and 489 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:32,160 I heard some people saying, do you remember old Jaco? 490 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:38,680 Yeah, yeah, yeah, well he's a Christian now, I said, oh you're right, you're a witness 491 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:39,680 to them right? 492 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:44,720 He said, no, no he is and he's got to be one of the kindest people you'll ever meet now 493 00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:54,160 and I'm planning to go and meet him sometime soon but this kindness, it's motivated by 494 00:43:54,160 --> 00:44:03,200 love, another word for kindness is benevolence, that when you see a brother in need or a sister 495 00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:09,160 in need and they don't have and you have, we just go, hey I can't bear the fact or the 496 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:16,800 thought that you're doing without and I have and hear, that's the ways of the Spirit, I 497 00:44:16,800 --> 00:44:25,400 tell you what, it's a good old test for Polish blood, let me tell you. 498 00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:34,180 Goodness, goodness, we started experiencing this goodness, the goodness of God and when 499 00:44:34,180 --> 00:44:41,040 we become saturated in this goodness, when you squeeze us, what comes out? 500 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:55,960 Goodness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 501 00:44:55,960 --> 00:45:09,680 We're living in a world that it seems to be out of control but self-control to me is something 502 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:18,600 that people see because we could say to people, I love you, we can say to people, I have joy 503 00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:28,680 and I have peace but one day the test will come, the test to test your self-control and 504 00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:43,260 that folks is obvious to everybody, self-control, against there is no law, this is why I believe 505 00:45:43,260 --> 00:45:55,120 God's so strong in the area that we as His children walk, choose to walk in the Spirit, 506 00:45:55,120 --> 00:46:08,520 choose to walk being led by the Spirit of God's influence to make right choices, that's 507 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:12,640 what it's about. 508 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:21,680 You know, Christianity you hear some people say, oh, they want to lose born again mob, 509 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:27,120 I used to be one of those people that would say that until one day I was in need and then 510 00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:31,360 one of those born again mob come and help me. 511 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:39,680 The thing is that we are a living witness of Christ and if people don't identify us 512 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:45,320 any different from the world, we're not going to have a positive impact but it's when they 513 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:50,800 see you and they say there's something different about you. 514 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:58,560 They begin to see that something that they like that they don't have. 515 00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:05,800 The times that people have said to others, what is it about you, you're different. 516 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:12,760 That's when you have an open door to share this marvelous gospel of Christ and you can 517 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:18,160 share from your heart because they open the door for you but it was your walking in the 518 00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:22,560 Spirit just being a Christian. 519 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:30,520 What they noticed, they noticed it and today I want to extend this invitation to everybody 520 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:36,960 here if you do not yet know the Lord Jesus Christ. 521 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:46,240 He I tell you, He's the nicest, kindest person you would ever meet. 522 00:47:46,240 --> 00:47:55,880 Jesus is all good, He's all light, He's all truth, He's all powerful, He is absolute holy. 523 00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:59,700 There is no lie in Him at all and there's no darkness in Him at all and there was nothing 524 00:47:59,700 --> 00:48:03,160 that He would ever do to hurt you. 525 00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:11,320 And so being found in Christ is a very safe place and it's a very fulfilling place. 526 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:16,360 The reality is at the end of the day when it's all said and done, when you and I draw 527 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:28,400 our last breath and we leave this physical body, the question is where are you going? 528 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:36,360 Because the body dies but the Spirit is eternal and if that Spirit person has not yet been 529 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:45,360 encountered the life giving from the Savior, the life, that zoe life, if that person had 530 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:51,360 rejected Christ, they're not in a very good place. 531 00:48:51,360 --> 00:49:03,640 If you're here today and you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I'm going to 532 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:06,600 give you an opportunity to do so. 533 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:17,000 It will be the best decision you will ever make in your entire life because a day will 534 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:29,840 come when we go out of this body, we're faced with decisions, did we accept or deny Christ? 535 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:40,040 You see today we are going to make a decision either way, do I accept Christ or do I deny 536 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:41,840 Him? 537 00:49:41,840 --> 00:49:56,720 And if we accept Christ, we have been given the very blessings of heaven, an assurance 538 00:49:56,720 --> 00:50:03,000 that when you draw your last breath that the angels of God will come and receive you into 539 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:17,560 glory, into a place where there is no suffering, there is no pain, it doesn't exist. 540 00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:27,640 A place of absolute joy, love and the very fulfillment and conclusion of life is what 541 00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:34,400 God has for us is to be with Him. 542 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:40,120 And I know that for me for many years I tried to live the best life that I could but it 543 00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:48,800 never measured up to what God required, when Christ saves us, empowers us, suddenly things 544 00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:49,800 change. 545 00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:56,840 Now I'm going to pray a very simple prayer and if you have not yet received Christ as 546 00:50:56,840 --> 00:51:03,240 your Lord and Savior, I'd really encourage you to follow me in this prayer because it'll 547 00:51:03,240 --> 00:51:06,360 be the most amazing thing that you'll ever do in your life. 548 00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:12,780 I did this some 30 years ago and you know I'll be honest with you, I was drinking all 549 00:51:12,780 --> 00:51:17,240 day and smoking things that I shouldn't be smoking when I got saved and I'm not saying 550 00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:19,080 that to go and do that. 551 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:20,080 Amen. 552 00:51:20,080 --> 00:51:25,240 I'm not encouraging you to do that, I'm just sharing my testimony what happened to me because 553 00:51:25,240 --> 00:51:28,920 I was searching, I knew there was more. 554 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:36,040 But when Christ saved me, it was an experience that words cannot express and it's still 555 00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:39,320 the same to this day, some 30 years later. 556 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:42,520 Can I encourage you to follow me in prayer? 557 00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:51,400 Would you repeat after me, Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus. 558 00:51:51,400 --> 00:52:03,240 I believe in my heart and I confess with my mouth that you, Jesus, are the Son of God, 559 00:52:03,240 --> 00:52:09,280 you died for me, God, you raised him from the dead. 560 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:20,360 This day I ask you Lord to forgive me of all the things I've done wrong and to receive 561 00:52:20,360 --> 00:52:22,760 me into your kingdom. 562 00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:25,040 Amen. 563 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:32,120 Now if you've prayed that prayer for the first time, would you just do something very quickly, 564 00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:37,360 would you just raise your hand and just acknowledge that you accepted Christ this morning? 565 00:52:37,360 --> 00:52:39,400 Are there any other hands? 566 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:40,400 Praise the Lord. 567 00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,600 I see those two hands there, they're young people as well. 568 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:45,440 Is there anybody else? 569 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:49,080 Is there anyone else here this morning? 570 00:52:49,080 --> 00:52:53,520 Praise God if you're watching online and you've made a decision to follow Christ, why don't 571 00:52:53,520 --> 00:52:57,960 you get in contact with us, the information will be on the screen and we'd love to hear 572 00:52:57,960 --> 00:52:58,960 from you. 573 00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:03,160 But what I'd like to do with the hands that were raised, I see your hand there too, so 574 00:53:03,160 --> 00:53:06,240 that you can put your hand down now if you like. 575 00:53:06,240 --> 00:53:07,640 Would you like to come out? 576 00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:10,120 We want to pray for you, is that okay? 577 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:11,840 Is that okay, can we do that? 578 00:53:11,840 --> 00:53:20,680 Just thinking, oh no, I didn't think that far ahead. 579 00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:27,680 Come on. 580 00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:29,180 Thank you for joining us. 581 00:53:29,180 --> 00:53:31,920 We pray God's richest blessing on your life. 582 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,500 If you haven't already, make sure to join us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 583 00:53:36,500 --> 00:53:40,200 You can also find us at LoganCityChristianChurch.com. 584 00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:57,800 See you next week.